ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 High of 85 Low of 73 Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. EDITORIAL | PAGE 4 ELECTRONIC PLATES: ONE QUESTION – WHY? LOCAL NEWS | PAGE 5 MUSICIAN DEXTER BODDEN RECOVERS FROM GUNSHOT WOUND Police still unable to scan new license tags BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Although more than 16,000 electronic li- cense plates and window coupons have been issued by the Cayman Islands Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, scanning de- vices which allow police to automatically “read” those tags are not in use. “The new process for scanning the elec- tronic vehicle coupons is not yet being used by officers in the field,” a statement from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service sent to the Cayman Compass earlier this month read, indicating the scanning devices were being programmed at the vehicles department. “Currently, the presumption is … that all vehicles with the new electronic coupons still have valid registration as they have only re- cently been received,” the RCIPS statement, is- sued by Inspector Ian Yearwood, read. The DVDL began the process of replacing the old orange-colored metal plates on ap- proximately 45,000 registered cars last spring, with about one-third of those now issued. However, department officials noted that be- tween 4,000 and 5,000 new electric plates are sitting in storage at the main Crewe Road of- fice awaiting pick up. Roughly 22,000 to 24,000 more will be replaced over the next two years or so, as drivers re-register their vehicles and swap the old plates for new ones. At the moment, police officers are doing stop checks at roadblocks “the old-fashioned way” by inspecting the logbook in the vehi- cles. For cars that do have the new electronic window coupons, no specific date of registra- tion is visible. However, police can also check a ve- hicle registration by calling the 911 Emer- gency Communications Centre to verify the information. BUSH SEEKS HELP FROM U.S. COURT IN ‘CONSPIRACY’ CLAIM BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush has sought a Florida court’s assistance in retrieving years of emails and other communications between a Miami- based British law enforcement adviser and former Cayman government officials who Mr. Bush sued, claiming they plotted the demise of his United Democratic Party government in 2011-2012. According to an application for judicial as- sistance filed Thursday with the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida, Mr. Bush and his attorneys have asked for copies of all emails sent or received by U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office law enforcement adviser Larry Covington between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 31, 2014 “relating to the intended MAN ARRESTED IN GT MURDER CASE Police arrested a 27-year-old man Monday on suspicion of the murder of Omar Bailey in George Town Saturday night. Father-of-two Mr. Bailey was shot multiple times as he stood by his car at a plaza on Eastern Avenue. For more on this story, see page 5. MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman Islands public school teachers were told to expect better salaries, but also to work harder to impact the perfor- mance of their students, during an educators seminar Tuesday. The regular teacher training day featured an introductory speech by Education Minister Juliana O’Connor-Connolly and a keynote address by education consultant Kristin Anderson, who talked about some of the least and most effective ele- ments in classroom teaching. Ms. O’Connor-Connolly told the crowd of several hun- dred, which filled about half the floor of the new gymna- sium at John Gray High School, that she is continuing to push for higher pay. “As far as I’m concerned,” the minister said, “the minimum wage for teachers [should] be no less than $5,000 [per month].” She said the minimum wage in the current two-year budget is $4,200 per month. She wants the next budget to contain her target figure, she said. That de- mand has shaken the system, Minister promises teachers better pay An eye into Cayman’s sporting past Some of Cayman’s sporting history was on display at the town hall in George Town Monday, including this racing bike ridden by Olympic cyclist Craig Merren in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Four members of the Merren family received awards for their sporting careers at Monday’s National Heroes Day. For more on this story, see page 6. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 7 »2 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE COMMUTER (PG13) 12:40 VIP I 5:05 I 6:40 VIP I 7:30 9:05 VIP I 9:55 TADEO JONES: THE HERO RETURNS (PG) 12:30 I 3:15 I 5:30 I 7:45 ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD (R) 12:55 I 4:40 I 9:50 INSIDIOUS: THE LAST KEY (PG13) 4:15 I 9:40 THE POST (PG13) 12:45 I 3:50 I 7:05 I 9:45 JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE (PG13) 12:25 I 3:45 VIP I 7:00 I 10:00 PROUD MARY (R) 12:20 I 2:30 I 7:35 • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Constable claims angry senior officer threw book at him Civil case continues after 16-month delay JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A police chief inspector threw a paper logbook at a junior officer in an angry ex- change, according to testi- mony from another officer, in a civil case Tuesday. Constable Cardiff Rob- inson brought civil proceed- ings over the alleged inci- dent with Inspector Frank Owens, which took place more than six years ago. The constable also claims Mr. Owens acted aggressively toward him, shouting and pointing his finger in his face, in a separate argument in February 2012. The case opened in Au- gust 2016, but was ad- journed for 16 months and resumed this week. Michael “Bobby” Peart, an- other police constable who was present at the time of the logbook incident, told the court Tuesday he had seen Mr. Owens fling the book at Mr. Robinson. He said the book hit the officer in the face and then landed on his lap. “I could see the anger in his [Mr. Owens’] face. His color changed. I was really frightened,” Mr. Peart claimed. He said Mr. Robinson was stung by the incident and had tears in his eyes. The exchange is alleged to have occurred in July 2011, when Mr. Owens was remon- strating with both officers about filling in the logbooks for use of police vehicles. Mr. Peart confirmed the officers had complained to senior management about Mr. Owens’ handling of the incident. He said he was surprised by the incident as it was out of character. “Inspector Owens is a very nice individual. He is not the type of person who would come and shout. He looked out for his offi- cers,” he said. Mr. Robinson alleges that the chief inspector assaulted him twice as part of a pat- tern of bullying and abuse. He gave evidence in August 2016, when the first part of the case was heard, claiming Mr. Owens shouted at him aggressively on another oc- casion, jabbing him with his finger and showering him in spittle. At that hearing, Mr. Owens denied throwing the book, saying he had no rec- ollection of that incident at all. He acknowledged shouting at Mr. Robinson on the second occasion but said he was simply admonishing the officer in a “firm but fair” manner over a minor per- formance issue. “If a senior police officer faces investigation every time he admonishes an officer for performance issues, that would seriously undermine the effectiveness of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Ser- vice,” he added. Mr. Robinson said he had made a criminal com- plaint about the incident and claimed the Depart- ment of Public Prosecutions had ruled that an offense of assault had taken place but decided not to pro- ceed with the matter, rec- ommending that it be dealt with internally. The officer said he had tried to follow internal com- plaint procedures, but the process left him feeling frus- trated and victimized. He said he had brought the civil case as a way of getting justice. The hearing was adjourned Tuesday for counsel to make final written submissions. Chief Inspector Frank Owens Former government worker charged with theft CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Former government em- ployee Trisha Marissa Jackson appeared in Sum- mary Court on Tuesday facing 11 charges that in- cluded theft and obtaining property by deception. Ms. Jackson, 38, told Mag- istrate Valdis Foldats that she had spoken to an attorney to represent her and he was waiting to receive papers in the case. The magistrate set the matter for mention again on Feb. 6. She is charged with stealing $18,890 from the Cayman Islands Govern- ment between Nov. 28, 2011 and Jan. 31, 2017. A press release issued last week said the monies had been paid for rental of govern- ment facilities. Ms. Jackson also faced eight charges of dishon- estly obtaining goods from an office supply company by falsely representing that the purchases were for legitimate Cayman Islands Government business. The total value of goods allegedly obtained was just over $12,000. These of- fenses were said to have oc- curred between May and Oc- tober of 2013. Two charges of falsifying government accounting re- cords were also laid, one for a period between 2011 and 2017 and the other for a period in 2013. IRISH JOG TO BENEFIT RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS The annual St. Patrick’s Day 5K Irish Jog at the Bri- tannia Golf Club will raise money for Cayman’s ARK – Acts of Random Kind- ness – this year. The popular jog, hosted by Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited and Dart Enter- prises Ltd, is celebrating its 26th anniversary. Each year, the Irish Jog’s organizing committee asks local charities to send in re- quests to be the recipient of the funds raised by the event. ARK’s motto is “changing one life at a time.” It is a grass- roots organization that fre- quently steps up to help those in the community who cannot find assistance anywhere else. Tara Neilsen, founder of ARK, said, “I cannot thank the committee enough for its support and the tremen- dous news that ARK has been chosen as the charity for the Irish Jog this year. What a wonderful and posi- tive start to 2018 for ARK and those we support.” Mike McWatt, managing director of Butterfield, said ARK’s commitment to im- proving the lives of the less fortunate stood out, particu- larly the charity’s housing and education program, which, he added, reflected the Irish Jog’s “own community-oriented focus on encouraging healthy, happy family life.” Chris Duggan, vice pres- ident of Community Devel- opment at Dart Enterprises, said, “The Irish Jog is em- braced by the whole commu- nity and we really felt that ARK’s ethos of ‘paying it for- ward’ and the power of kind- ness to strangers really res- onated with the values and spirit of our own event. We’re hoping for another record- breaking year in 2018 and encourage anyone, no matter what fitness level, to sign up to benefit such a great cause.” This year’s Irish Jog will start at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16. Registration details can be found on www.ky.butterfieldgroup.com. The officer said he had tried to follow internal complaint procedures, but the process left him feeling frustrated and victimized. The annual Irish Jog always draws a big crowd of enthusiastic runners and joggers. MAN CRITICAL AFTER NEWLANDS CAR CRASH Car struck pole after two-vehicle collision The male driver of a Honda Integra that was in- volved in a two-vehicle colli- sion Monday night remained in hospital Tuesday with life- threatening injuries. Police said the col- lision with a Chevrolet Tahoe occurred shortly be- fore 9:30 p.m. on Hirst Road, Newlands. After the vehicles col- lided, the Honda left the roadway and struck a utility pole before coming to a stop against a fence nearby, police said. Emergency personnel transported the drivers of both vehicles to the Cayman Islands Hospital. The driver of the Chev- rolet was treated and sub- sequently discharged. The driver of the Honda re- mained in critical con- dition Tuesday. She is charged with stealing $18,890 from the Cayman Islands Government.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 Lawsuit challenges Speaker’s ruling Seeks to have law declared unconstitutional KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com A judicial review applica- tion filed at the Grand Court earlier this month seeks to overturn a long-standing law that prohibits records from the Legislative As- sembly from being used as evidence in court without the permission of the Speaker of the House. The issue stems from a lawsuit that Carol Angela Bennett filed against Henry Michael Diaz in 2015, seeking damages from a car acci- dent the two had about three years earlier. In that case, Ms. Bennett sought to use as evidence a Hansard record – a verbatim transcript of what was said in Legislative. Court records do not state what, specifi- cally, she was seeking to use as evidence in her case. To access the transcript, that she was required to obtain permission from the Legisla- tive Assembly, as per the Leg- islative Assembly (Immuni- ties, Powers, and Privileges) Law, which was originally enacted in 1965. However, Speaker of the House McKeeva Bush de- nied her permission to use the Hansard record last October, according to court records. As a response, Ms. Ben- nett sued for judicial review, claiming that Mr. Bush “acted illegally and improperly” in making his decision. Ms. Bennett’s claim form states that Mr. Bush applied a blanket policy to her re- quest without considering its merits and without con- sidering “the consequen- tial denial of justice and the bringing of the court process and the Legislative Assembly into disrepute.” The lawsuit further con- tends that the sections of the Legislative Assembly Law re- quiring permission for re- cords to be used in court are unconstitutional. When asked for comment, Mr. Bush did not respond specifically to the claims made in Ms. Bennett’s judi- cial review application, but sent the Compass a state- ment on the matter that he made in the Legislative As- sembly last November. That statement was part of a 25-plus minute speech he made last November that largely focused on warning MLAs against acting inap- propriately, and warning the media from publishing “irresponsible or scan- dalous” accounts of what happens in the Legisla- tive Assembly. He also addressed the issue of using Legislative As- sembly records in court. “Requests have been made to allow the use of Hansards – the official re- port of this legislature – in certain court cases,” Mr. Bush stated. “This is not allowed.” Mr. Bush said he reached this decision because the policy that Legislative As- sembly records are inadmis- sible in court is “precedence set down centuries ago” by law and convention. Ms. Ben- nett challenges this state- ment in her judicial review application, claiming that Mr. Bush “wrongly found that the official Hansard record had not historically been cited in court.” “In the matter of the re- quest made to me, my de- cision not to grant permis- sion stands,” Mr. Bush added at the time. “The strength of this traditional position of the convention is to protect the institution of parliament to prevent issues or conflicts with the courts and to avoid the risk of any ill-conceived attempts to use parliament’s proceedings for wrong pri- vate purposes.” A trial date for the judicial review application has not been scheduled yet. Attempts to reach Ms. Bennett were unsuccessful before Tues- day’s press deadline. Speaker McKeeva Bush addresses the Legislative Assembly at the swearing in ceremony in May last year. - PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY Caymanian completes long road to Bar call BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com Cayman’s newest lawyer ran a long road before being called to the Bar in Grand Court by Justice Richard Williams’s courtroom Thursday morning. “This is a Caymanian attorney that wants to be a litigator both in crim- inal and civil court,” said attorney James Sten- ning, supporting attorney Clayton Phuran who has joined the Stenning & As- sociates law firm. “I have great joy in making this application.” Mr. Phuran gradu- ated from the Cayman Is- lands Law School, com- pleting some post-graduate work at the U.K. Bar and also receiving a certificate from the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica, Mr. Stenning said. “He completed his law degree … course at the law school,” Mr. Stenning said. “He managed to complete that full time while also working full time to sup- port his family.” For much of that time, Mr. Phuran’s family was not able to be on island, but stayed in the U.K., Mr. Stenning said. “He has shown an in- credible determination and resolve,” Mr. Stenning said. Justice Williams wel- comed Mr. Phuran and said his admission was for the general practice of law, meaning he could work in both civil and crim- inal settings. PROUD OF THEM Joshewa Frederick-Charlery honored for football prowess Footballer Joshewa Fred- erick-Charlery, 20, is being recognized by the Proud of Them initiative for his sporting achievements. He has played football since 2004 in the U-13, U-15, U-17, U-21 and men’s local leagues. He subsequently went on to develop into a sought-after Premier League player, competing for Bodden Town and Academy football clubs. For most of his local football career, Joshewa has also played for the Cayman Athletics Sports Club, an- other football team on island. The George Town player has represented the Cayman Islands as a national foot- baller at U-20, U-23 and in the senior men’s team in Carib- bean Football Union, Olympic, CONCACAF and FIFA compe- titions in countries such as Curaçao, Haiti and Belize, as well as on his own turf. Joshewa has coached the U-11 side and refereed matches in the local primary school league, all in an effort to give back to the commu- nity which has groomed and supported his sports career from a young age. His junior football career was noteworthy for many highlights. These includes his team, Cayman Athletics Sport Club, winning the U-17 league championship, placing third in the Disney Interna- tional Cup and being one of the U-13 Football Associa- tion Cup champions in the 2009-10 season. On an indi- vidual level, Joshewa’s su- perior football talents were recognized and he was the Golden Boot winner for the U-15s in both the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons. In addition to Joshewa’s football career, he participated in track, cricket and swim- ming throughout primary and high school. He has used his ability in football to secure both athletic and academic scholarships to further his ed- ucation and to gain interna- tional exposure in his sport. In May 2017, he graduated from Northwest Kansas Tech- nical College with an associate degree. He was highlighted at that college as Sportsman of the 2016 season and was the college team’s football captain in his senior year. Since August 2017, Jo- shewa has been pursuing a bachelor’s degree at Long- wood University in Virginia on scholarship, and competes for that university’s soccer team, which is rated NCAA Division 1, the highest level sanctioned by the National Collegiate Ath- letics Association in the United States. By October 2017, he was already featured as the MVP of a match. The Proud of Them initiative recognizes the positive achievements of young people between the ages of 10 and 25. Through a public nomination process, individuals are honored in various categories. Each person selected is featured for six months on billboards across the Cayman Islands and receives a certificate and $500. From left, James Stenning, Judge Richard Williams and Clayton Phuran at Friday’s bar call. Ms. Bennett’s claim form states that Mr. Bush applied a blanket policy to her request without considering its merits and without considering “the consequential denial of justice and the bringing of the court process and the Legislative Assembly into disrepute.” “He has shown an incredible determination and resolve.” JAMES STENNING, Stenning & Associates Joshewa Frederick-CharleryThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. The Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing may, or may not, be the most dysfunctional gov- ernment agency in the Cayman Islands. It certainly appears to be, but that might be because its missteps manifest themselves in a highly visible manner on the country’s most “highly trafficked” areas – our roadways. The visibility issue is amplified by the sheer volume of vehicle owners and drivers who must interact regularly with the agency. Nevertheless, it does seem that the DVDL has more than its fair share of foul-ups: unmaintained databases, millions of dollars in uncollected fees, non- transparent cash transactions, and, of course, the interminable “customer service” queues that plague the agency’s headquarters, and who can forget the “racing inspector” who, in broad daylight and in front of scores of spectators, wrecked a high-performance vehicle he was supposed to be testing? The most recent example of DVDL dysfunction is displayed on the front page of today’s Compass, in the latest installment of the ongoing saga of electronic license plates and window coupons. More than 18 months ago, then-Planning Minister Kurt Tibbetts announced the government’s intention to adopt “electronic plate” technology, with one of the selling points being that the new plates would allow police to monitor vehicles and issue tickets automatically. Since that time, the government has followed through with the plan, contracting with an overseas vendor, earmarking $1.5 million for the scheme and issuing more than 16,000 new plates and coupons. And yet, as we report today, local police do not yet have the ability to scan the plates and coupons (which do not display, visibly, their expiration date). For the time being, officers are operating under “the presumption … that all vehicles with the new electronic coupons still have valid registration as they have only recently been received,” according to Inspector Ian Yearwood. Good heavens … About a year ago, we on the Compass Editorial Board expressed our concerns about the government’s move toward adopting electronic plates. We wrote: “It appears to us the electronic tag scheme has two possible outcomes: It is either a significant additional step toward transforming Cayman into a surveillance state, where public authorities employ watchful elec- tronic eyes to oversee the behavior of all citizens, “just in case” – or, if the entire system never becomes oper- ative, it’s another wasteful government boondoggle, where officials used taxpayer funds to purchase a bill of goods they can never fully utilize, didn’t understand and don’t want.” The situation reminds us of Cayman’s extended (and expensive) foray into closed-circuit television cameras – a system that the country learned only years after it was installed, does not work particularly well at night … when, of course, most crimes are committed. It also reminds us of India’s “Aadhaar,” an initiative to provide each of the country’s 1.3 billion citizens with a unique 12-digit identity number, based on biometric data, and which has been variously described, with the passage of time, as “the world’s most ambitious national ID program,” “a breach of privacy,” and “a national security disaster.” The proclivity, and resulting track record, of gov- ernments trying to address (perceived) problems with the universal application of new technology leads us to offer, tentatively, the following theorem: the more people that are meant to be involved in a public sector scheme, the lower-tech the ideal solution should be. In regard to Cayman’s electronic plates, officials have introduced cutting-edge UHF technology into an area where government had not yet achieved mastery of “metal” and “sticker” technology. In our editorial last year, we posed a number of questions about the electronic plate program, several of which remain unanswered. The most important was, and is, this: Why? Electronic plates: One question – Why? WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS When politicians try to abuse inequality For U.S. Republicans, it’s dangerous to focus on the moment – accusations that President Donald Trump is a racist, DACA and avoiding government shutdowns – but the more enduring threat to the GOP’s grip on power are charges of insensitivity about inequality. In a market economy, some inequality is neces- sary to reward innovation and hard work, but too often class differences are abused by cynical politicians. Inequality can be too ex- treme. Future prosperity is not well served when the children of the poor and working classes are trapped in dysfunctional communi- ties and denied access to de- cent schools, universities and other means for escape. In a democracy, politi- cians can exploit those con- ditions with destructive con- sequences. Fraudulent social security disability pensions, food stamps, subsidized housing and free healthcare are significantly responsible for many able-bodied adults dropping out of the work- force. Within a few years, those render most recipi- ents unfit for gainful employ- ment and create a class of voters beholding to promis- cuous politicians. Democrats have a simple explanation for inequality – it is the maniacal outcome of a culture dominated by white males. Hence, it is im- moral and should be slain by an elaborate system of re- distributionist policies and regulations that relentlessly punish a whole class defined at birth by gender and race – white males It’s all menacingly self-re- inforcing. Undeserved public assistance and preferences dulls ambition, slows growth and exacerbates inequality. In turn, those create greater op- portunities for liberal politi- cians to preserve their power and positions by promising new punishments on inno- cent productive citizens. Now progressives want to streamline the process by providing everyone with a guaranteed annual income. Vote buying and retribution gone wholesale. It is not inequality ordi- nary Americans dislike. They recognize the need to reward creativity and ambition but have contempt for unfair ad- vantages. In particular, those bestowed by rich parents on children or politicians to campaign donors and demo- graphic groups that vote in blocks for leaders who deliver reliably on their demands. Rural and small town America has been devastated by globalization and techno- logical change, failing schools and poorly crafted free trade agreements. President Obama responded with additional handouts, gender rules for school bathrooms and more flawed free trade deals. The voice candidate Trump heard deep in the heartland was from disaf- fected and economically dis- enfranchised white voters. They are tired of politicians patronizing their plight, the liberal media denigrating their values and intellec- tuals lemming global gov- ernance. Most importantly, they want jobs not hand- outs, opportunities not finger pointing and guilt. The Republican tax cut will make American-based businesses more competitive and lift economic growth a bit, but it will mostly raise prosperity on the two coasts and among communities served by top-flight universi- ties – for example, Ann Arbor and the research triangle in North Carolina. Rifle shot trade actions for aluminum, solar panels and a few other products may provide some deserved relief from unfair import competition but do not offer a systemic solution for sub- sidized Asian imports and a continually growing trade deficit with China. Overall, the Trump ad- ministration and Repub- lican Congress are hardly addressing the genuine con- cerns of the great mass of voters who put them in power. Yet, the clients and executive class of the liberal state see the GOP as an exis- tential threat to their systems of privileges and persecution so carefully erected during the Clinton and Obama years. The recent elections in Alabama and Virginia sent a clear message. The coali- tion that profits most from their insidious systems of en- titlements and preferences so carefully erected by suc- cessive Democratic govern- ments is energized to turn every election into a Dump Trump referendum and to turn out in great numbers, whereas the Republican base, disappointed, does not have the same mojo. Mr. Trump would do well to refocus his energies on disassembling the apparatus of political correctness in practice and implementing radical trade reforms, or rec- oncile to the GOP losing con- trol of Congress in 2018 and the presidency in 2020. Peter Morici is an economist and business professor at the University of Maryland, and a national columnist. © 2018, The Washington Times. PETER MORICI PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way”5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 Musician Dexter Bodden recovers from gunshot wound BRENT FULLER bfuller@pinnaclemedialtd.com He is still bandaged up and hurting, but Cayman’s “Coconut Cowboy” Dexter Bodden said Tuesday that he was ready to leave the hos- pital after being shot outside his home eight days ago. “I’ve still got some sore- ness, and I have a graze from a bullet here [on the left wrist] that if it hadn’t just grazed me, I wouldn’t be able to play guitar,” Mr. Bodden said Tuesday afternoon as he prepared to check out of the surgical ward. Mr. Bodden’s left wrist was still heavily wrapped, but he assured fans he would be back “on the road” soon, starting with a show at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. Mr. Bodden was initially listed in critical condition after he was shot the night of Jan. 16 outside his house on Avon Way, off Eastern Avenue. According to police, a lone suspect approached Mr. Bod- den’s vehicle just after he ar- rived home and fired into the car, with one bullet striking the victim in his lower torso. After multiple surgeries on Jan. 16 and 17, doctors became more confident Mr. Bodden would pull through. By Tuesday afternoon, he was up and walking around the surgical ward at the Cayman Islands Hospital. “The bullet went into my left side through the rib cage,” Mr. Bodden said, acknowl- edging how close to death he came. “I’m thankful for the doctors and the nurses. Those are my gods … were it not for them, I wouldn’t be here.” Though thankful for sur- viving, Mr. Bodden said he is still “very, very angry” about the shooting inci- dent and believes he knows who shot him. The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police had not an- nounced any arrests in con- nection with the shooting as of press time Tuesday. Mr. Bodden is a well- known and respected mu- sical talent both in Cayman and abroad. He played for more than two decades in the Nashville, Tennessee area, where he performed under the name “The Ca- lypso Cowboy.” These days, he is known as the “Coconut Cowboy” and plays regular gigs around Cayman, in- cluding at Morritt’s Tortuga in East End and Da Station Bar in George Town. Arrest made, following shooting of Omar Bailey JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A 27-year-old man has been arrested on suspi- cion of the murder of Omar Bailey in George Town Saturday night. Mr. Bailey, a father of two, was shot multiple times as he stood by his car at a plaza on Eastern Avenue. A George Town man was arrested on Monday by detectives investigating the crime. He was in po- lice custody and had not been charged as of press time Tuesday. Mr. Bailey was originally from Jamaica but had lived in Cayman for several years, working mostly in the con- struction trade. His partner Margeorgia Williams described him as a good dad to their 1-month-old son and his 2-year-old daughter, as well as her children from an- other relationship. Detective Superintendent Peter Lansdown told the Compass on Monday that the shooting took place in a busy retail plaza, close to a barber shop, where people congregate to socialize. He said police were con- fident that several people were around at the time of the offense and urged wit- nesses to come forward. Anyone with information can call the George Town Police Station at 949-4222 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 800-8477 (TIPS). EARLY BREAKTHROUGH IN MURDER INVESTIGATION Omar Bailey Dexter Bodden, pictured just prior to his release from the Cayman Islands Hospital Tuesday, says he’s ready to get back to playing music. – PHOTO: BRENT FULLER A police car blocks access to the scene of Friday night’s fatal shooting of Omar Bailey. A man was arrested Monday on suspicion of murder. – PHOTO: TANEOS RAMSAY6 LOCAL NEWS WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Incredible Merrens relive glory days Sports heroes exhibit at town hall JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com With four heroes in one family, you could say the Merrens are Cayman’s ver- sion of “The Incredibles.” Monday’s National He- roes Day was a trip down memory lane for the family, with four siblings picking up awards for their glittering sporting careers. Craig Merren, a three-time Olympic cyclist, his brother Duke Perri Merren, who fin- ished 58th in the road race at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and their sister Merilyn Phil- lips, the first woman to rep- resent Cayman at the Olym- pics in 1984 for cycling, were all named pioneers in sports. Their brother, Darcy Rivers, also won a long ser- vice award for his contribu- tions to softball. Craig Merren said it was a thrill to collect the award alongside his sib- lings. He said their mother, Deanna Merren, deserved an award too for her part in their success. Mr. Merren also put to- gether the cycling exhibit for a Heroes Day exhibition at the George Town Town Hall after the event. The bike he rode at the 1988 Olympics was among the memorabilia on display as 20 sporting associations showed off medals and ar- tifacts and introduced new- comers to their sports. Mr. Merren said it had been a nostalgic experience. “It took me two or three days to put all that stuff to- gether, because I would find all this memorabilia and when I find some- thing, I would stop and re- member,” he said. He said his greatest memories were of repre- senting his country as a 17-year-old cyclist at the Los Angeles Olympics and of winning Cayman’s first gold and silver medals at the Carifta Games in Bar- bados in 1985. He also went on to compete in team time trials at the 1988 and 1992 games in South Korea and Barcelona, competing along- side legends of the sport like Miguel Induráin and Lance Armstrong. His brother Duke had a strong performance at the Seoul Olympic road race, but was denied the chance to compete at Barcelona in 1992 after a road accident in Cayman left him in a coma. He recovered fully, but not in time to compete. The Cayman Islands Cy- cling Association was among the 20 sports associations to put on demonstrations and exhibit at the Town Hall for Heroes Day. Visitors got to try their hand at everything from darts to boxing and view medals and memorabilia from dif- ferent sports’ glory days. Some of Cayman’s greatest sporting moments were memorialized in an exhibition at the town hall in George Town on Monday. Athletics coach Jerry Harper, who was lauded for coaching generations of Caymanian track and field stars, takes a trip down memory lane. Boxing coach Nayon Anglin introduces a youngster to the sport.Cayman’s 1984 Olympic cycling team. Siblings Darcy Rivers, Merilyn Phillips and Craig Merren all picked up awards. Their brother Duke Perri Merren also received an award, but was unable to attend Monday’s ceremony.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 #ShareTheRoadKY MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, PLANNING & INFRASTRUCTURE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE, PLANNING & INFRASTRUCTURE Broadcasting Ltd. BRIGHT LIGHTS ON DARK NIGHTS IF YOU’RE WALKING, RUNNING OR CYCLING, MAKE SURE YOU’RE VISIBLE TO OTHER ROAD USERS BY WEARING BRIGHT COLOURS AND REFLECTIVE CLOTHING. BE LIKE THIS GUY “When the scanners are implemented, officers will be able to use them to scan tags and obtain results within a short period of time, usually a few seconds,” the RCIPS statement read. “At this point, no problems with the speed of the scanners have arisen.” The electronic plate scan- ners will be used at traffic checkpoints, the police noted. It is not known how many police officers will ultimately carry the devices. At the moment, when a car using the old Cayman Islands license tags is in- spected and passes, the driver can pay for the new registration period of three months, six months or a year, and will temporarily re- ceive one of the “old” window stickers to show their vehicle is street legal. When the new plates are ready, officials said a repre- sentative from the Depart- ment of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing will contact the driver and let them know to report back to the Crewe Road office to collect the new license plates. The process, in cases where the new electronic tags are not immediately ready, can take between one and two weeks. The in- spected vehicle can still be legally driven and any police officer looking at the car will see from the window sticker that it is still operable. Although the change-over to the new plates has caused some headaches for drivers, police note the new electronic plates will eventually make the annual car registration process more convenient. “Once a person has their vehicle inspected, they can renew their vehicle online through DVDL … instead of having to wait in line at DVDL,” the RCIPS statement read. “They only need to do the annual inspection of their vehicle at DVDL or at any of the authorized pri- vate garages.” she said, and her fellow politi- cians have taken note. “My colleagues have be- come active participants,” she said, when it comes to educa- tion issues. “That in itself is an achievement, that they’re willing to put it in their po- litical buckets. Everybody and their cousin is talking about education.” Her biggest round of ap- plause came when she called for reintroducing books into the classroom. “I can only imagine what it must be like after a long day in the classroom to have to photocopy all those paqes,” she said, referring to the way many students receive ma- terials and homework, since most classrooms do not have textbooks. “There may be sound reasons, but I want to know what those reasons are.” Ms. Anderson, a senior director with Corwin pub- lishing, spent more than an hour discussing the book “Vis- ible Learning,” by John Hattie, which the companypublishes. The top-selling book is an analysis of hundreds of re- search studies on educational techniques and issues. It uses data to determine which methods are most effective. Interestingly, she said, 95 percent of the methods looked at in more than 800 studies Mr. Hattie analyzed show at least some positive impact. “The question isn’t, ‘Does it work?’” she said. “We need to learn what works best.” The book challenges some long-held beliefs in educa- tion. Mr. Hattie found that such things as reducing class size, retaining underper- forming students and home- work (at least in the primary grades) have either very little impact or a negative impact on student performance. One element that is also counterproductive is an open classroom design. Ms. Ander- son’s mention of the format drew immediate response from the audience. Clifton Hunter High School is de- signed with open classrooms and they are not popular with many teachers and students. Ms. Anderson said the synergy that some envision coming with such a setup typically does not happen. Studies have shown production drops off in offices that employ the design. “It was a major distraction,” Ms. Anderson said, placing herself in a hypothetical class- room in such an environment. “My kids are singing and rocking, getting the morning going. You’re looking at me with death glares because you can’t get your kids to focus.” The good news, Ms. An- derson told the group, is most of what they need to help their students succeed is at their fingertips. “Student advancement is not raised by something you can just purchase,” she said. “The only way that these [ef- fective elements] are mani- fested is through incredibly hard work. But when you see the learning through the eyes of your learners, it makes all the hard work worthwhile.” Ms. O’Connor-Connolly said she was impressed by the presentation. While she was reluctant to agree that student retention was not effective, she did concur with the idea that too much homework in pri- mary grades is not beneficial. “For a long time,” she said, “I thought we were giving too much homework in the primary level.” Angela Johnson teaches Year 3 in Cayman Brac. She said she found the informa- tion fit with her experience. “It reconfirmed how I do send home homework,” she said. She and her fellow teacher Kristi Scott said just raising such issues creates a good at- mosphere for discussions. “I was sitting behind my principal and I could see her nodding her head,” Ms. Scott said. “And I thought, ‘We’re going to be having some con- versations about this.’” For Jessica Jackson, deputy principal at Sir John A. Cumber Primary, the ses- sion was both an affirmation and a motivation to do more. Ms. Jackson said three years ago her school imple- mented a response to inter- vention program, a targeted approach to dealing with struggling students, and one of the things Ms. Anderson high- lighted as effective.“We have seen a lot of growth in our Year 1 and Year 2 students,” Ms. Jackson said. “We’ve also extended the program to math for Year 3 as well. “One thing we could defi- nitely focus on is helping stu- dents to become their own as- sessors,” she added, touching on another element Ms. An- derson had said was effective. “That would be a great next step.” Ms. Jackson said Ms. An- derson had “kind of given us a blueprint based on data. It’s a great foundation for us as edu- cators to make decisions.” and actual investigation and subsequent prosecution and trial of Mr. Bush. “The request for the court’s assistance also seeks, “all notes, reports, memoranda or other documents of any kind” cre- ated during the same time and relating to the same subject.” “Mr. Bush also seeks that Mr. Covington attend a de- position to answer questions as to the role he played in the prosecution of Mr. Bush and to explain the documents that he produced,” the Jan. 18 application states. “Mr. Covington appears to have been closely involved with the investigation and subsequent prosecution of Mr. Bush. It is simply not possible that no documents have been sent to, or gener- ated by, Mr. Covington during the entire process.” Mr. Covington has not been named as a defendant in Mr. Bush’s conspiracy claim, and according to the U.S. court pa- pers filed Thursday, he never will be. Rather, the request states that no other parties in- volved in the Cayman Islands legal dispute have access to the records Mr. Bush believes Mr. Covington possesses. It is asserted in the court request that Mr. Covington possesses those records in Miami-Dade County, where he is based. “[The] application is not filed for the purpose of vio- lating, circumventing or frus- trating any Cayman Islands law …,” the court request states. “[It] is filed only for the purpose of obtaining relevant evidence in the possession of Mr. Covington for use in the Cayman action.” Mr. Bush, while serving as Cayman Islands premier, was arrested in December 2012, re- moved from office by a vote of no confidence in the Legislative Assembly and then charged with corruption-related of- fenses in March 2013 – two months before a general elec- tion. Although Mr. Bush was re-elected in his home district of West Bay, his UDP party lost control of the government in the May 2013 election. The next year, Mr. Bush was acquitted on charges that he improperly used a government-issued credit card for personal expenses, including gambling trips to various casinos in Miami and the Bahamas. In October 2015, Mr. Bush sued former Cayman Islands Governor Duncan Taylor, then- Police Commissioner David Baines and the Cayman Is- lands government, claiming that Mr. Taylor and Mr. Baines had “breached their respective constitutional duties” in the alleged conspiracy to remove Mr. Bush from power. Mr. Ba- ines and the governor’s office in Cayman have consistently denied all such allegations. The U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Florida had not taken any action on Mr. Bush’s request for judicial assistance as of Friday, other than to assign a judge to the case. The application for judi- cial assistance is accompa- nied by a lengthy affidavit from Mr. Bush’s Cayman at- torney, Michael Alberga. “As the law enforcement adviser for the Caribbean Overseas Territories, Mr. Covington is a key person in these proceed- ings as his role was and is, amongst other things, to pro- vide guidance and advice to the Cayman Islands’ authori- ties, as well as to the [Foreign and Commonwealth Office],” Mr. Alberga’s affidavit states. Police still unable to scan new license tags “The presumption is … that all vehicles with the new electronic coupons still have valid registration as they have only recently been received.” RCIPS STATEMENT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Bush seeks help from US court in ‘conspiracy’ claim Minister promises teachers better pay CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Kristin Anderson was the keynote speaker at Tuesday’s educators seminar at John Gray High School. - PHOTO: MARK MUCKENFUSSThe islands’ most-trusted news source 8 WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Professional Certificate in Human Resource Practice (CHRP) The University of Portsmouth is once again bringing this highly successful HR programme to the Cayman Islands – commencing 27 February 2018 The Professional Certificate in HR Practice will develop your HR knowledge and skills if: 1. You are working in HR or personnel administration or you want to work in HR, or 2. You are an administrator, a team leader, a supervisor or a manager looking to develop your HR management skills 3. It is also an entry route to a Master’s Degree in HRM (anticipated starting date, late 2018) 20 days of HR classes are delivered on-island in 6 daytime workshops from February 2018 to September 2018, the classes cover: • The role of HR and the business context: 4 days • Talent planning, recruitment and selection interviewing: 4 days • Managing performance, appraisal interviewing and rewarding employees: 4 days • Managing HR information and Continuous Professional Development (CPD): 4 days (2 x 2 days) • Labour law and PSML – employment relations, discipline, dismissal, discrimination and gender equality: 4 days What our students say: “Enrolling on this CHRP programme was the one of the best decisions I have made in my career and I am now in an HR Manager’s position.” “Thank you so much Miss Marjorie and Mr Stephen for investing your time and knowledge, your style of teaching makes learning unforgettable.” “This HR course has been a totally engaging experience and it has exposed me to real HR experiences – the classroom experience was phenomenal!” Develop HR skills, become CIPD qualified and boost your career - too good an opportunity to miss! Contact Miss Marjorie, University of Portsmouth, to reserve your place: marjorie.corbridge@port.ac.uk Check out the website: www.port.ac.uk/caymanchrp University Faculty with extensive international HR experience include: Marjorie Corbridge, Gary Rees and Stephen Pilbeam US blames Russia for Syria chemical weapons use U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Tuesday that Russia is in violation of a 2013 agreement it made with the U.S. on the removal of chemical weapons from Syria and is helping the Syrian government to breach the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans their use. Philippine volcano spews lava fountains; 56,000 people flee LEGAZPI, Philippines (AP) – The Philippines’ most active vol- cano spewed fountains of red-hot lava and massive ash plumes anew Tuesday in a dazzling but increasingly dangerous eruption that has sent more than 56,000 villagers fleeing to evacu- ation centers. Lava fountains gushed up 2,300 feet above Mount May- on’s crater and ash plumes rose up to 2 miles Monday night. At least three major blasts followed Tuesday, in- cluding an explosion at nightfall that was capped by one of the most massive lava displays since the volcano started acting up more than a week ago, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. Authorities warned a vi- olent eruption may occur in hours or days, characterized by more rumblings and py- roclastic flows – superheated gas and volcanic debris that race down the slopes at high speeds, vaporizing everything in their path. After Monday’s explosion, officials raised Mayon’s alert level to four on a scale of five, and the danger zone was ex- panded to 5 miles from the crater, requiring thousands more residents to be evacu- ated, including at least 12,000 who returned to their homes last week as Mayon’s rum- blings temporarily eased and then scrambled back to the emergency shelters this week. At least 56,217 people were taking shelter in 46 evacuation camps Tuesday and army troops and po- lice were helping move more villagers from their homes, officials said. Authorities struggled to prevent villagers from sneaking back to check on their homes and farms and to watch a popular cockfight in Albay’s Santo Domingo town despite the risks and police patrols and checkpoints, said Cedric Daep, a provincial di- saster response official. In a sign of desperation, Daep told a news conference that he has recommended electricity and water supplies be cut in communities within the no-go zones to discourage residents from returning. “If pyroclastic flows hit people, there is no chance for life,” Daep said. “Let us not violate the natural law, avoid the prohibited zone, because if you violate, the punish- ment is the death penalty.” The daytime eruptions have plunged nearby vil- lages into darkness and sent lava, rocks and debris cas- cading down Mayon’s slopes toward the no-entry danger zone. There have been no re- ports of deaths or injuries. Airplanes have been ordered to stay away from the crater and ash-laden winds, and several domestic flights have been canceled. Volcanic ash fell Monday in more than a dozen towns in coconut-growing Albay and nearby Camarines Sur province, with visibility heavily obscured in a few towns because of the thick gray ash, Jukes Nunez, an- other Albay provincial di- saster response officer, said by telephone. “It was like nighttime at noon, there was zero vis- ibility in some areas be- cause the ash fall was so thick,” Nunez said. More than 30,000 ash masks and about 5,000 sacks of rice, along with medi- cine, water and other sup- plies, were being sent to evacuation centers, Of- fice of Civil Defense re- gional director Claudio Yucot said late Monday. Food packs, water, medi- cine and other relief goods remain adequate but may run out by mid-February if the eruption continues and new supplies fail to come on time, officials said. With its near-perfect cone, Mayon has long been pop- ular with climbers and tour- ists but has erupted about 50 times in the last 500 years, sometimes violently. The 8,070-foot volcano has gen- erated tourism revenues and jobs in Albay, about 210 miles southeast of Manila. In 2013, an ash eruption killed five climbers who had ventured near the summit de- spite warnings. Its most de- structive eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and buried the town of Cag- sawa in volcanic mud. The belfry of Cagsawa’s stone church still juts from the ground in an eerie reminder of Mayon’s fury. The Philippines, which has about 22 active volca- noes, lies in the “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults sur- rounding the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and vol- canic activity are common. In 1991, Mount Pinatubo in the northern Philippines exploded in one of the big- gest volcanic eruptions of the 20th century, killing about 800 people, covering entire towns and cities in ash and partly prompting the U.S. gov- ernment to abandon its vast air and naval bases on the main northern Luzon island. The Mayon volcano spews red-hot lava in an eruption as seen from Legazpi city, roughly 200 miles southeast of Manila, Philippines, Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP ALASKA HIT BY 7.9 EARTHQUAKE; TSUNAMI WARNING CANCELED ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A powerful earthquake struck off an island in the Gulf of Alaska, prompting a tsunami threat that sent the state’s residents along the southern coast and western Canada fleeing for higher ground just after midnight Tuesday. After a few intense hours, the tsunami warning was canceled, allowing people to return home from shelters. There were no immediate re- ports of damage, not even on Kodiak Island, the closest land to the epicenter of the magnitude 7.9 quake. For Alaskans accustomed not only to tsunami threats but also to regular drills, the early morning alert that made cellphone alarms go off still created some fretful moments. The phone message read: “Emergency Alert. Tsunami danger on the coast. Go to high ground or move inland.” The magnitude 7.9 earth- quake was recorded in the Pa- cific Ocean at 12:32 a.m. about 170 miles southeast of Kodiak, home to one of the nation’s largest Coast Guard bases. The temblor prompted the tsunami warning stretching thousands of miles along Alaska’s southern coast, from Attu in the Aleutian Is- lands to Canada’s border with Washington state. Ko- diak is located about 200 miles south of Anchorage, the state’s largest city, which was not under a tsunami threat. Elsewhere in the United States, Washington state, Or- egon, California and Hawaii were under tsunami watches, which eventually were lifted. Officials in Japan say there was no tsunami threat there. People reported on social media that the quake was felt hundreds of miles away, in Anchorage. Reports varied about how long the quake’s shaking lasted, depending on where you were. In the popular cruise ship town of Seward, about 110 miles south of Anchorage, fire chief Eddie Athey said the quake felt like a gentle rattle and lasted for up to 90 seconds. “It went on long enough that you start thinking to yourself, ‘Boy, I hope this stops soon because it’s just getting worse,’” Athey said. The earthquake woke Ko- diak Police Lt. Tim Putney from a dead sleep. He esti- mates it shook for at least 30 seconds but admits his time frame might be skewed by sleeping through some of it. “I’ve been in Kodiak for 19 years that was the strongest, longest lasting one I’ve ever felt,” he said by telephone. Putney said there were no immediate reports of damage reported to Kodiak police. The state emergency manage- ment agency also had no im- mediate reports of damage.9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24, 2018 Rónán Nadaraja 22nd April 1973 - 24th January 1998 Remembering with love our darling younger brother, Rónán Not a day passes that we don’t think of you and wish you were here. We miss you so very much. Your loving sisters and brother, Ingrid, Fiona and Seán SESSIONS INTERVIEWED BY MUELLER TEAM IN RUSSIA INVESTIGATION WASHINGTON (AP) – At- torney General Jeff Ses- sions was interviewed for hours last week in special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation, the Justice Department con- firmed Tuesday. The interview comes as Mueller is investigating whether President Donald Trump’s actions in office, including the firing of FBI Director James Comey, con- stitute efforts to obstruct an FBI probe into contacts between his 2016 cam- paign and Russia. Sessions is thought to be the highest-ranking Trump administration of- ficial, and first Cabinet member, to be interviewed by Mueller’s team. He is seen as a poten- tially important witness given his direct involve- ment in the May 9 firing of Comey. The White House initially said that the termi- nation was done on the rec- ommendation of the Jus- tice Department and cited a memo from Deputy At- torney General Rod Rosen- stein. The memo faulted Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email server investigation, as jus- tification for the dismissal. But Trump has since said he was thinking of “this Russia thing” when he fired Comey. Sessions recused him- self from the Russia in- vestigation in early March after acknowledging that he had had two previously un- disclosed encounters with the Russian ambassador during Trump’s 2016 pres- idential campaign. He said at the time that it would be improper for him to oversee a probe into a campaign for which he was a vocal and prominent supporter. His decision to re- cuse made him a source of steady criticism from Trump, who has lashed out repeatedly on Twitter at Sessions and the Jus- tice Department. Rosenstein appointed Mueller, a former FBI di- rector, to take over the Russia investigation one week after Comey was fired. Pence visits Western Wall amid tensions with Palestinians JERUSALEM (AP) – Extending his hand at the holiest site where Jews can pray, Vice President Mike Pence visited the Western Wall on Tuesday amid tensions with the Pales- tinians over President Donald Trump’s recent decision to recognize Jerusalem as Is- rael’s capital. Wearing a Jewish skullcap on his head, Pence quietly ap- proached the wall and placed a small white note of prayer in its cracks. The vice presi- dent held his right hand on the wall momentarily, his eyes closed, and stood solemnly to glance at the hallowed wall in Jerusalem’s Old City. Pence aides called it a “personal visit,” in the same manner in which Trump prayed there during his visit to Israel last year. The vice president was joined by Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, the rabbi of the wall, and Mordechai “Suli” Elias, the di- rector general of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation. The visit to the wall, on Pence’s final day in the Middle East, followed weeks of strained relations with the Palestinians, who have as- sailed the Trump adminis- tration’s decision to recog- nize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. It capped a two-day visit to Israel in which the vice president repeatedly re- ferred to Jerusalem as Isra- el’s capital and used a high- profile speech to the Knesset to announce plans to speed up the timing of the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Je- rusalem – moving it from Tel Aviv – by the end of 2019. Jerusalem’s status, a cen- tral issue in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict, remained at the forefront throughout Pence’s four- day visit to the Middle East, which included stops in Egypt and Jordan. Trump’s announcement in December declaring Je- rusalem to be Israel’s cap- ital has created reverbera- tions through the region and countered decades of U.S. for- eign policy and international consensus that Jerusalem’s status should be decided in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. White House officials said they were hopeful Pence’s meetings with Egypt’s Pres- ident Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II might help encourage the leaders to serve as inter- mediaries with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has denounced Trump’s decision and refused to meet with Pence. In a sign of the tensions, Abbas’ ruling Fatah party called for a general strike to protest Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s cap- ital. The strike is meant to include shops, public trans- portation, banks and most of the public sector aside from schools and hospitals. Fatah official Jamal Muheisen told the Voice of Palestine that the strike marks “the beginning of our popular peaceful struggle” against the Jerusalem move. Pence’s appearance at the wall was brief and sought to remove politics from the set- ting – he did not make any public remarks and was not accompanied by any Israeli officials there. Aides said the contents of the note he placed inside the wall would remain private. When Trump’s ambas- sador, David Friedman, vis- ited the Western Wall for a Chanukah candle-lighting ceremony in December, a gov- ernment minister and deputy minister joined him. At the ceremony, Friedman said it was a “great honor” to be standing in “the capital of the state of Israel.” The Old City is home to the city’s most sensi- tive holy sites and is in the heart of east Jerusalem, the part of the city claimed by both sides. Pence’s final day also in- cluded an emotional visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Pence and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walked amid the displays with their spouses, listening as offi- cials with the memorial de- scribed the site remembering 6 million Jews killed during the Holocaust. France, US urge Turkey to show restraint in north Syria BEIRUT (AP) – France’s top diplomat and the U.S. de- fense secretary Tuesday urged Turkey to exercise re- straint in its battle against a Syrian Kurdish militia as the Turkish military pressed its operations in north Syria for the fourth straight day. Foreign Minister Jean- Yves Le Drian said intense fighting between Turkish troops and a U.S.-allied Kurdish militia in recent days is a sign that new con- flicts could erupt in the re- gion as the Islamic State group is defeated. He warned that without a political solution to the multi-sided Syrian civil war, the region could again ex- plode with conflicts “just as dramatic” as the war on IS. His statement mirrored comments by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who warned the fighting was dis- tracting from the war on terror and disrupting human- itarian relief efforts. “The violence in Afrin dis- rupts what was a relatively stable area of Syria,” he said while traveling in Asia. “It distracts from the interna- tional efforts to ensure the defeat of ISIS.” Turkey’s “Operation Olive Branch” against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, in north Syria is straining relations with its NATO allies. The U.S. mil- itary is a partner of the YPG and operates bases in Kurdish-controlled territory in north Syria. Turkish police have ar- rested at least 55 people in a sweep against alleged supporters of the YPG in- side Turkey, according to Anadolu Agency. Also on Tuesday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Ca- vusoglu announced a second Turkish soldier was killed in Operation Olive Branch. Turkey says the YPG – a group it considers a terrorist organization – is an exten- sion of an outlawed Kurdish rebel group that it is fighting inside its own borders, and it has found common cause with Syrian opposition groups who view the YPG as a counter-revolutionary force in Syria’s intricate civil war. Turkey says it aims to create a 20-mile deep “secure zone” in Afrin, a Kurdish-con- trolled enclave on its border. As Turkey’s military and allied Syrian forces pressed their campaign, Turkey shelled a city in northeastern Syria, said a spokesman for the YPG. Nureddine Mehmud said Turkey fired on Qamishli and other towns along the Syrian-Turkish border on Tuesday, calling it a diver- sion from the main cam- paign in Afrin, which lies along a separate part of the frontier. There were no re- ported casualties. Mehmud said the YPG and allied militias had man- aged to prevent the Turkish forces from making “any real progress” in Afrin. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights Monitoring group said at least 24 civilians, 24 Kurdish fighters and 25 Turkish-backed Syrian mi- litiamen have been killed in the clashes in Afrin since Saturday. Most of the civil- ians were killed in Turkish airstrikes, which have tar- geted towns and cities in the enclave. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence walks alongside Israeli President Reuven Rivlin during a formal reception ceremony at the President’s residence in Jerusalem on Tuesday. - PHOTO: REUTERS United States Attorney General Jeff SessionsNext >